Scalping and grading device



(No Model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 1. A. HUNTER. SOALPING AND GRADING DEVIOE.

Patented Feb. 4, 1890.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets- Sheet 2.- A. HUNTER. SGALPING AND GRADING DEVICE.

No. 420,723. Patented Feb. 4, 1890.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet s.

A. HUNTER. SOALPING AND GRADING DEVICE. v No. 420,723. Patented'Feb. 4, 1890.

N. PETERS; Hub-magma Wnhingibn. D. Q

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREW HUNTER, OF MIDWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

SCALPI NG AND GRADING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 420,723, dated February 4, 1890. Application filed February 26, 1889. Serial No. 301,212. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ANDREW HUNTER, of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee, and in the State of Wisconsin,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Scalping and Grading Devices; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to scalping and grading devices for the treatment of breaks and other products resulting from the manufacture of grain into flour, and will be fully set forth hereinafter, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical 1011- gitudinal section through my improved machine, taken near one side thereof. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the tail end of my machine, with the upper portion partially in section 011 the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig.4 is a sectional view of the feedhopper on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the adjustable distributers in the hopper. Fig. 6 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the feed-hopper, but with two of the adjustable distributers in a different position from that shown in Fig. 3 and the others removed. Fig. 7 is a detail of the endless carrying-apron. Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail longitudinal sectional view; and Fig. 9 is an enlarged detail transverse sectional view on the line 9 9 of Fig. 8, illustrating the construction and operation of the endless carrying-apron.

Mypresent invention is, in part, an improvement on that set forth in my application for patent filed. January 9, 1889, Serial No. 295,868, and, like that machine, comprises side walls A A, tail end B, and head end 0, a four-sided hopper in the lower part of the machine formed by the inclined cant-boards A (projecting inwardly from the lower portions of the side walls A and A,) D, and D,

application; but in this present device I show an additional spout B on the exterior of the tail-wall B, which spout communicates with the interial of the machine at b and has its discharge-opening at 19 there being openings in the tail-wall B above said spout, closed by doors or slides 19 b and lower down, as shown at b b, for affording a convenient means of access to the interior of the machine from the rear.

E represents the top of the machine having openings at convenient intervals closed by doors E. The head-wall O has similar doors 0.

In my present machine I show a series of screens, which are each practically the same as the single screen shown in said former application, except in variation of mesh, as hereinafter described, and while I have herein illustrated two of such screens (marked H and H) it will be understood that I may employ any suitable number, each screen having its separate discharge-spout at the tail end, and each two adjacent screens may be separated, if desired,by the endless apron or carrier shown and hereinafter described.

Each screen, as in my said prior application, has secured to the top of its side walls and at about the center thereof stirrups I, united by a transverse piece f, to each end of which is secured one end of a wooden or metallic spring-strip J, whose other ends are secured-to the side walls of the machine, and the arrangement of cross-strips g g on the under side of the screens and the subadjacent brackets or rests K K is the same as before, save that I have here shown the leather, rubber, or other pieces h h as secured to the cross-strips g g, instead of said brackets K K. Above the screens I have shown the same eccentric stops L as before, having shanks 1', which pass through and are (after adj ustment) secured to the side walls A A of the machine, as by thumb-nuts t and the said stops L may be covered with rubber or like material 11, as before, and are placed above and near each end of the screen-frames, which latter may have pieces of rubber or other suitable material on the top surface of the side walls, as at h, as before, and like stops L may be similarly placed above each of the spring-strips J, all as described in said prior application.

M M and M M are the rods extending through the machine, carrying the inside sprocket-wheels j, engaging with sprocketchains an, which latter are united by the transverse brushes or scrapers N, whose ends travel around adjustable guides G and between the sameand stationary guides F, (the adjustment of the guides G being provided by means of slots 6 in the side walls, bolts 0, and thumb-nuts (1,) the said brushes or scrapers operating against the lower surfaces of the screens II and H, as in said prior application, and, as before, the screens are agitated by cams Q on shafts O, journaled in vertically-adjustable boxes P.

Interposed between the upper screen H and lower screen H, in Fig. 1, I show an endless carrying-apron G, secured to cross-strips g g, which latter are in turn secured to extension-links g in sprocket-chains g which engage with sprocket-wheels G on shafts g and the ends of these cross-strips g g travel around a guide G and between it and a subadjacent guide G" (both stationary) and near the head end of this carryingoron its underside is in contact with a transverse stationary brush N. fers from the lower screen only in the addition of a strip of coarser-meshed screen-cloth 1P, extending back from its head end a certain distance and being of the full width of the screen and located above the sereenbottom, so as to first receive the material from the feed-hopper R, allowing the fine particles to pass through its meshes and the coarserparticles to fall from its rear edge upon the bottom of said upper screen 11. In some cases for the largest mills I may place another complete screen directly above the screen H, in place of adding the screen-cloth I1 to said upper screen; but in ordinary cases I prefer the construction illustrated.

I have shown my present screens provided with cross-rods \V and thumb-nuts Y, as in in y prior application, to stretch the wire-cloth or other material of which the screen-bottoms are composed and prevent sagging, the sides of the screens being united by cross-rods \V' and the transverse strips f above the plane of the cross-rods \V.

The feed-hopper R, like that in my prior application hereiubefore named, is provided with a feed-roller S on a shaft R, cant-board s, pivoted feed-board T, hung by hooks 15 to loops or eyes i, transverse guard-strip i and springs a on guide-pins U in cups a, with adjustingscrews a and extending the entire width of the machine. The hopper is made with inner end pieces R R (to make the feed of the hopper within the width of the screen,) and extending from end to end of said hopper are two longitudinally-slotted bars R R, located above the feed-roller S and cant-board s and about midway in height of the hop- My upper screen H dif-.

per, and supported on these bars R are the adjustable distributers S S S S, each having an inner vertical face .9, terminating in downward projections 3 5 which straddle one of the bars R and an outwardly and downwardly inclined face 5 terminating in a horizontal flange s, which rests on said bar R, and has a perforation 3" in line with the slot in said bar for the reception of a securing-bolt s passed through said slot and perforation and fastened by a thumb-nut s when the distributer is in the desired position. These distributers may be of metal or wood and either solid or shells, but are preferably formed of iron plates, which may be simply bent into the required shape and need not have any other faces or sides than those just described.

My feed-hopper R has a closed top R", perforated for the reception of the delivery-pipe R, which conveys the breaks, middlings, or other material which is to be treated to said hopper.

In Figs. 2 and I show the driving-connections as applied to a machine having two screens, such as is illustrated in Fig. 1. X is the drivingpulley, which receives power from the main belt, (not shown,) and this pulley is on one end of the upper cam-shaft O, which carries a sprocket wheel or pulley m, connected by chain or belt X with another sprocket wheel or pulley a," on the end of the lower cam-shaft O, and thus drives the latter, while the other end of the upper shaft 0 carries a sprocket-wheel 0, connected by sprocketehain o to a larger sprocket-wheel V on the end of feed-roller shaft R, and just inside this larger wheel V is a small sprocket wheel V on the same shaft R, below which is a sprocket-idler V mounted on a stud 'v on the side wall A of the machine, and below this a sprocketrwheel V on the end of the shaft M, below this a sprocket-wheel V" on the end of shaft g", and next a sprocket-idler V on a stud t and finally a sprocket-wheel V on the end of shaft M, and these various sprocket wheels and idlers are all connected by a sprocket-chain V which engages them.

in this order: V, V, V, V, V V and back to V, as shown by the arrows in Fig. 2.

It will be understood that if I increase the number of screens I must add sprocket wheels and idlers for the shafts thereof and rearrange my driving chains or belts correspondingly.

The operation of my machine will be readily understood from the foregoing description of its construction. Suppose the delivery-pipe R is a straight pipe, set in either a perpendicular position or at an angle to such position,but in a line at right angles to the greatest length of the hopper. Then the adjustable distributers would be moved on their bars R until the vertical faces 8 of each pair are in contact beneath the center of the discharge end of the spout R and secured in this position by the set bolts and nuts 3" 5 described. Then the material will be evenly divided, and

ITO

half will be deflected toward each end of the feed-rollerbelow. By separating slightly each pair of distributers at the center the material will be divided, so that a part will go to the center of the feed-roller S, and the balance be divided, as before, and. directed toward the ends thereof. If, again, we leave, say, distributers S and S in this last position and move distributers S and S out of the way, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, about half of the material will fall directly on the center of the feedroller, and the balance will be distributed between the center and ends of the feed-roller. Again, suppose the pipe R approaches the feed-hopper R in line with the greatest length of said hopper, as shown in Fig. 6. The material in running down precipitates the middlings to the bottom of this pipe, with the lighter particles on top of said middlings, and hence the hereinbefore-described positions of the distributers would not satisfactorily and evenly divide the contents of the pipe R but would, if the distributers were all together at the center, send the light particles toward one end of the feed-roller and the heavy particles toward the other end; or if the distributers were as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, then half of the lighter particles would be sent toward one end and half of the heavy particles toward the other end, and the balance of each be distributed between the center and ends, but still kept separate; hence to overcome this difficulty I would remove distributers S and S (or push them back away from beneath the discharge-opening of the pipe R and adjust distributers S and S to the relative positions shown in Fig. 6, and then the contents of the pipe would be evenly distributed and equal quantities of the combined heavy and light particles would be directed toward each end of the feed-roller. It will thus be seen that there is practically no limit to the changes which may be made in the adjustment of my distributers to compensate for the different angles or positions of the feed-delivery pipes. in difierent machines.

The operation of my screens, cam-shafts, and traveling brushes is obvious and identical with that set forth in my hereinbefore-named prior application; but the interposed carrying-apron produces a new and better result in connection with a series of said screens, the upper screen being provided with cloth of a coarser mesh than the screen below, and this being the case with all the screens in the series, each one being of coarser mesh than the screen below and of finer mesh than the screen above.

The object of the carrying-apron G is to receive the material that sifts through the meshes of the screen above it on the entire upper exposed portion of said apron and to carry the same continuously up to the head end of the machine, and by the revolution of said apron to cause said material to drop 0E onto the upper or head end of the screen below, this action being, as stated, continuous, and, on account of the described chain con= nections, automatic. The apron is freed from adhesive particles at any suitable point on its under side by means of the stationary brush N.

To prevent the material from falling ofi the sides of the apron while being elevated thereby, and also to form a bearing-surface for said apron on the guides G I re-enforce the apron on its outer surface 011 each side, along the entire edge, with flexible strips 9 g preferably of leather, said strips being of sufficient thickness to serve to retain the material between them and to keep the apron from frictional contact with the described guides G on its downward travel; and, further, by reason of the contact of said strip g with the casing of the machine, they exclude air and prevent the deposit of light pulverized material within the space between the parallel faces of the said apron.

Having thus described my invention, whatI claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of a feed-hopper and a feed-roller located in the lower portion of said hopper with supporting-bars above said feed roller and a series of distributers adj ustably secured to said bars, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of a feed-hopper having a closed top provided with an opening, a feed-delivery pipe communicating with said opening, a feed roller located in the lower portion of said hopper,supporting-bars above said feed-roller, and a series of distributers secured to said bars and capable of adjustment thereon to vary their relative position with respect to the feed-pipe opening above, substantially asset forth.

3. The combination, withafeed-hopperand feed-roller, of a series of distributers adjustably supported above said feed-roller within said hopper, and each having a vertical inner face and a downward and outwardly inclined upper face, substantially as set forth.

at. In a scalping and grading device, the combination of a pair of inclined screens with an interposed endless carryingapron, stationary guides for said apron, and flexible strips secured to the outer surface of said apron on each side along the entire edge, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand, at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of WViscousin, in the presence of two witnesses.

ANDREW HUNTER. \Vitnesses:

H. G. UNDERWOOD,

' WILLIAM KLUG. 

